We have uploaded an article by Guru Maharaj Sri Swami Chidanandaji
titled "Rays From the Light Fountain". This is an inspiring article on
overcoming difficulties and failures to reach the summum bonum of life,
viz. God-realization. This article was given for publication to Sri
Richard Levy in 1970 in Los Angeles, USA by Guru Maharaj. Thanks to Sri
Richard Levy for sharing it with all of us. This article is at:http://www.SivanandaDlshq.org/messages/raylightfountain.htm

Yours in the service of Gurudev,

Pannirselvam

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"ALL SOULS' DAY": After the morning class was over the Master suddenly
confronted the Ashramites with a suggestion.

"From now onward the first of every month will be observed at the Ashram
as 'All Souls' Day'. We should offer special prayer for the peace of all
departed souls. In this modernised, materialistic world, Dharma has long
ago been lost. Many religions have come into being in India itself that
vehemently condemn the practice of ancestor-worship, Tarpana and Shraddha.
The departed souls are in great grief. They naturally look to us to help
them. We must do this."

An aspirant mentioned that a spiritualist who visited the Ashram recently
had contacted several departed souls, who declared that they were
eternally grateful to the Master for his Kirtans and prayers for their
peace. They said that they had received great benefit through his mercy.

Another incident had already been chronicled--that of Sri Gauri Prasadji's
late grand-daughter--who rejoiced in the Master's Kirtan.

"The programme will be," the Master continued, "in the morning we should
arrange for consecrated food-offerings for the departed souls. There will
be a special worship in the temple. We can have poor-feeding and feeding
of the Sadhus also. In the evening there will be a special Ganga worship,
when lights will be floated in the Ganga in the names of the departed
souls. There should be special illumination in the temple."

"More expenses!" someone thought.

The Master at once read the thought and said, "Ohji, don't worry about the
funds. They will come. When the manes are pleased they will goad their
descendants to contribute to the Society. When old people hear of this
arrangement they will allot some portion of their properties to the
Society in their wills. Our motive should be pure. We should always
endeavour to serve all with selfless love. God will look after us."

"Swamiji, you are perfectly right," said an aged inmate. "Since we started
the worship in the temple the Ashram has attained rare heights of
prosperity. Who would have expected the growth of the Ashram so rapidly?
So many cottages, so many typewriters, so many books--all these are no
joke. Surely they are all indications that the Devas are highly pleased.
The Lord also is highly pleased with the worship here."

"I told you that Lord Shiva has run away from Kailas and taken His
permanent abode in the Viswanath temple here, because of the ceaseless
chanting of the Rudram and Chamakam," remarked the Master.

"But, Swamiji," slowly put in another aged devotee, "you are an Advaitin.
Why should you encourage these Karmas? Where are the departed souls and
how are we to please them?"

"That is the mistake you commit. Do not mix absolute truths with relative
activities. As long as the body is there, as long as you think of it,
adorn it, feed it and look after it, you are in the relative plane only.
You can by all means study and try to understand Vedanta, but you should
not attempt to bring it to Vyavahara (worldly existence). When you have
converted this body into a worn-out leather bag, to be used or discarded
at will, then you can discard all these Karmas also. Till then you have to
believe in and carry out all these actions."

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"In our effort to attain perfection, failure may assail us many times.
This doesn�t matter. Failure is not a sin. It is giving up effort that
sinful. Failing is not a great fault. But wanting to sit down where one
has fallen, refusing to rise up and struggle on, that, indeed is a bad
fault. Ultimately, success is built over failure, won by persevering
effort." - Swami Chidananda

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